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Malta's tourism industry shows strong growth; strategic shift towards higher-value visitors is the next priority
Press release
Summary
David Delicata, Hospitality leader at Deloitte Malta, presented the results of the Quarter 2, 2026 Hotel Performance Survey at the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) quarterly briefing.
Malta's tourism industry has established itself as a strong destination, with Quarter 2, 2026 showing continued growth in arrivals and total tourist expenditure. This headline growth provides a solid baseline from which Malta should pursue a value-based transition.
Shifting towards higher-value tourism will unlock greater value from existing and future volume but must be supported by strategic investment in differentiated tourism offerings, and infrastructure.
Malta, 18 September, 2026 - Six months into 2026, Malta's tourism industry continues to demonstrate strong fundamentals. Arrivals have grown 19.2% in quarter 2 in comparison to the same period last year and headline expenditure has increased 19.5% nominally, confirming the destination's appeal. Per day spend has improved to €166, showing marginal improvements. However, the composition of this growth warrants attention, with average length of stay contracting to 5.5 nights (down 8.5%) and spend per visit declining by 3.7% as a result. Overall, the headline growth and per day spend improvements provide a solid baseline from which Malta can pursue a value-based transition.
"Our past performance has established a solid foundation and it’s time for the next step up the value-ladder."
David Delicata, Hospitality leader at Deloitte Malta.
“Malta has done an excellent job establishing itself as a destination,” said David Delicata, Hospitality leader at Deloitte Malta. "The headline growth is strong. Our past performance has established a solid foundation and it’s time for the next step up the value-ladder.”
The value imperative: a complimentary parallel track
There are opportunities to build a quality differentiated product which enables Malta to improve its performance along complimentary parallel tracks: to improve the value from the current visitor profiles in line with similar competitor destinations while simultaneously attracting higher-value visitors. An increase in the holistic quality of the tourism product and experience is critical to tourism sustainability – equally for our existing visitor base and for attaining an increase in new high-value visitors. Deloitte’s analysis shows that increasing per day spend by just €10 per visitor would have generated approximately €100 million in an additional revenue for Malta’s economy for the first half of this year alone. Incremental quality increases in our tourism industry have the capacity to create significant whole of economy uplift.
"The government's direction towards higher-value tourism is sound," Delicata continued. "The industry needs to work collaboratively to improve product quality, strengthen year-round experiential offerings, and continue to upgrade transport connectivity and infrastructure quality. As a country we should be prioritising investments that serve a dual purpose: building higher-value tourism and improving the local quality of life."
Emerging pressures
Whilst headline growth is positive, hoteliers signal emerging pressures: 63% flagged growth in accommodation supply as a key challenge, around half cited price competition, and 46% of hotels are experiencing cost growth that exceeds revenue growth. As new supply enters the market, price competition will intensify, potentially placing pressure on operator margins.
"Operators are feeling structural pressures," Delicata continued. "Operational improvements can build more resilient businesses, but the shift towards higher-value tourism, something championed by the government, is essential on a macro-level. We have a good economic platform to work from, but we must pursue the opportunity to transition proactively.”
For more information, or to arrange an interview with David Delicata, contact Daphne Tabone at dtabone@deloitte.com.mt.
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